Technical Exercises Chromatic Harmonica

Technical Exercises Chromatic Harmonica

AROUND THE WORLD…SCALE EXERCISES

This is a grouping of some of the finest technical exercises you can use to improve your skills as a player. They will be of great help to you to steep your mind, body and soul in the various sound combinations available to you on your chromatic harmonica…and will translate into better playing and improved artistry for you on chromatic harmonica.

After all, we must know where we are going tonally…not that we need to know the name (it does help!)…but to know the SOUND. Yes?

I gathered these from many sources, and a few I made up…but I’m sure others utilized them before me.

I find that the time I spend in mornings with technical exercises, a joy. It’s fun to do…and I always stop while I’m still fresh, so I always look forward to my next time to play. I make recordings in late morning and afternoon, and perform pieces at night. My favorite time of day is dusk…it seems all is ready…

These are not designed to be done in order, or one after another. Jump around, choose as you like and have fun. Make them yours, try various attacks on the note, various volumes, various rhythmic approaches, mix it up, on all the octaves available on your harp. Know your entire instrument…enjoy your entire instrument.

I do want to thank Emile D’Amico, teacher, for sharing the Mehegen studies with me, it seems such a complete grouping of sounds…I love them!

(Others studies will be added over time, such as Modes and Pentatonic scales, even Atonal whole step scales of Debussy. I’d also like to share some intervallic studies with you, intervallic means playing various intervals, just moving from one note, up or down to another…no biggie.)

CHROMATIC SCALE

C C#/Db D D#/EB E F/E# F#/Gb G G#/Ab A Bb/A# B C

Of course, it can be started at any note, and then play 12 tones up from there. Go down also!

12 MAJOR DIATONIC SCALES

C D E F G A B C

C# D# E# F# G# A# B# C#

D E F# G A B C# D

Eb F G Ab Bb C D Eb

E F# G# A B C# D# E

F G A Bb C D E F

F# G# A# B C# D# E# F#

G A B C D E F# G

Ab Bb C Db Eb F G Ab

A B C# D E F# G# A

Bb C D Eb F G A Bb

B C# D# E F# G# A# B

C D E F G A B C

AROUND THE WORLD WITH SCALES…CHROMATIC/MAJOR/NATURAL MINOR/HARMONIC MINOR/MELODIC MINOR SCALES…SUCH FUN!

Chromatic Scale…

C C#/Db D Eb/D# E F/E# F#/Gb G G#/Ab A Bb/A# B C

C D E F G A B C Major scale

C D Eb F G Ab Bb C Natural Minor scale

C D Eb F G Ab B C Harmonic Minor scale

C D Eb F G Ab Bb C Melodic Minor scale/ up

C D Eb F G Ab Bb C Melodic Minor-down*

(*NOTE: The Melodic Minor scale is played backwards from how it is written

here, as it is going Down, not up. We provided it in its ascending order

so you can recognize it quickly as a Natural Minor scale…because a

Melodic Minor scale when descending is a Natural Minor scale. This is

true for all the exercises listed in this section.)

For each scale now listed, first you’ll see the chromatic scale, then the Major, then the Natural Minor…etc..

C#/Db D Eb/D# E F/E# F#/Gb G G#/Ab A Bb/A# B C C#/D

C# D# E# F# G# A# B# C# Major scale

C# D# E F# G# A B C# Natural Minor scale

C# D# E F# G# A B# C# Harmonic Minor scale

C# D# E F# G# A# B# C# Melodic Minor scale/ up

C# D# E F# G# A B C# Melodic Minor-down

D Eb/D# E F/E# F#/Gb G G#/Ab A Bb/A# B C C#/Db D

D E F# G A B C# D Major scale

D E F G A Bb C D Natural Minor scale

D E F G A Bb C# D Harmonic Minor scale

D E F G A B C# D Melodic Minor scale/ up

D E F G A Bb C D Melodic Minor-down

Eb/D# E F/E# F#/Gb G G#/Ab A Bb/A# B C C#/D D Eb/D#

Eb F G Ab Bb C D Eb Major scale

Eb F Gb Ab Bb Cb Db Eb Natural Minor scale

Eb F Gb Ab Bb Cb D Eb Harmonic Minor scale

Eb F Gb Ab Bb C D Eb Melodic Minor scale/ up

Eb F Gb Ab Bb Cb Db Eb Melodic Minor-down

E F/E# F#/Gb G G#/Ab A Bb/A# B C C#/D D Eb/D# E

E F# G# A B C# D# E Major scale

E F# G A B C D E Natural Minor scale

E F# G A B C D# E Harmonic Minor scale

E F# G# A B C# D# E Melodic Minor scale/ up

E F# G A B C D E Melodic Minor-down

F/E# F#/Gb G G#/Ab A Bb/A# B C C#/D D Eb/D# E F

F G A Bb C D E F Major scale

F G Ab Bb C Db Eb F Natural Minor scale

F G Ab Bb C Db E F Harmonic Minor scale

F G Ab Bb C D E F Melodic Minor scale/ up

F G Ab Bb C Db Eb F Melodic Minor-down

F#/Gb G G#/Ab A Bb/A# B C C#/D D Eb/D# E F F/E#

F# G# A# B C# D# E# F# Major scale

F# G# A B C# D E F# Natural Minor scale

F# G# A B C# D E# F# Harmonic Minor scale

F# G# A B C# D# E# F# Melodic Minor scale/ up

F# G# A B C# D E F# Melodic Minor-down

G G#/Ab A Bb/A# B C C#/D D Eb/D# E F/E# F#/Gb G

G A B C D E F# G Major scale

G A Bb C D Eb F G Natural Minor scale

G A Bb C D Eb F# G Harmonic Minor scale

G A Bb C D E F# G Melodic Minor scale/ up

G A Bb C D Eb F G Melodic Minor-down

(The scales of G# and Ab are enharmonic, meaning they have the same actual sounds, another way of looking at it is that the key on piano for G# and Ab are the same, they just have different names, like Jim and James…same person different name. So I list both and I suggest you practice both…thinking about what’s going on.)

G#/Ab A Bb/A# B C C#/D D Eb/D# E F/E# F#/Gb G G#/Ab

Ab Bb C Db Eb F G Ab Major scale

Ab Bb Cb Db Eb Fb Gb Ab Natural Minor scale

Ab Bb Cb Db Eb Fb G Ab Harmonic Minor scale

Ab Bb Cb Db Eb F G Ab Melodic Minor scale/ up

Ab Bb Cb Db Eb Fb Gb Ab Melodic Minor-down

G#/Ab A Bb/A# B C C#/D D Eb/D# E F/E# F#/Gb G G#/Ab

G# A# B# C# D# E# F## G# Major scale

G# A# B C# D# E F# G# Natural Minor scale

G# A# B C# D# E F## G# Harmonic Minor scale

G# A# B C# D# E# F## G# Melodic Minor scale/ up

G# A# B C# D# E F# G# Melodic Minor-down

A Bb/A# B C C#/D D Eb/D# E F/E# F#/Gb G G#/Ab G#/Ab A

A B C# D E F# G# A Major scale

A B C D E F G A Natural Minor scale

A B C D E F G# A Harmonic Minor scale

A B C D E F# G# A Melodic Minor scale/ up

A B C D E F G A Melodic Minor-down

Bb/A# B C C#/D D Eb/D# E F/E# F#/Gb G G#/Ab A Bb

Bb C D Eb F G A Bb Major scale

Bb C Db Eb F Gb Ab Bb Natural Minor scale

Bb C Db Eb F Gb A Bb Harmonic Minor scale

Bb C Db Eb F G A Bb Melodic Minor scale/up

Bb C Db Eb F Gb Ab Bb Melodic Minor-down

B C C#/D D Eb/D# E F/E# F#/Gb G G#/Ab A Bb/A# B

B C# D# E F# G# A# B Major scale

B C# D E F# G A B Natural Minor scale

B C# D E F# G A# B Harmonic Minor scale

B C# D E F# G# A# B Melodic Minor scale/up

B C# D E F# G A B Melodic Minor-down

12 BLUES SCALES

Formula: 1 b3 4 #4 5 b7

C Eb F Gb G Bb C

C# E F# G G# B C#

Db E Gb G Ab B Db

D F G Ab A C D

Eb Gb Ab A Bb Db Eb

E G A A# B D E

F Ab Bb B C Eb F

F# A B B# C# E F#

Gb A B C Db E Gb

G Bb C Db D F G

Ab B Db D Eb Gb Ab

A C D Eb E G A

Bb Db Eb E F Ab Bb

B D E F F# A B

1 3 5 7 9 #11 13 arpeggios

C E G B D F# A

C# E# G# B# D# F## A#

D F# A C# E G# B

D# F## A# C## E# G## B#

Eb G Bb D F A C

E G# B D# F# A# C#

F A C E G B D

F# A# C# E# G# B# D#

Gb Bb Db F Ab C Eb

G B D F# A C# E

G# B# D# F## A# C## E#

Ab C Eb G Bb D F

A C# E G# B D# F#

Bb D F A C E G

B D# F# A# C# F G#

JOHN MEHEGAN CHORD STUDIES

Jazz Improvisation, Vol 1: FROM TONAL AND RHYTHMIC PRINCIPLES

60 chord system

5 chords, 12 keys

CMaj 7

C7

Cmin7

Cdim7 or min7 b5

Cdim double flatted 7th, or Cdim6

C D E F G A B C

C E G B

C E G Bb

C Eb G Bb

C Eb Gb Bb

C Eb Gb A

C#Maj 7

C#7

C#min7

C#dim7 or min7 b5

C#dim double flatted 7th, or C#dim6

C# D# E# F# G# A# B# C#

C# E# G# B#

C# E# G# B

C# E G# B

C# E G B

C# E G Bb

DMaj 7

D7

Dmin7

Ddim7 or min7 b5

Ddim double flatted 7th, or Ddim6

D E F# G A B C# D

D F# A C#

D F# A C

D F A C

D F Ab C

D F Ab B

EbMaj 7

Eb7

Ebmin7

Ebdim7 or min7 b5

Ebdim double flatted 7th, or Ebdim6

Eb F G Ab Bb C D Eb

Eb G Bb D

Eb G Bb Db

Eb Gb Bb Db

Eb Gb A Db

Eb Gb A C

EMaj 7

E7

Emin7

Edim7 or min7 b5

Edim double flatted 7th, or Edim6

E F# G# A B C# D# E

E G# B D#

E G# B D

E G B D

E G Bb D

E G B C#

FMaj 7

F7

Fmin7

Fdim7 or min7 b5

Fdim double flatted 7th, or Fdim6

F G A Bb C D E F

F A C E

F A C Eb

F Ab C Eb

F Ab Cb Eb

F Ab Cb D

F#Maj 7

F#7

F#min7

F#dim7 or min7 b5

F#dim double flatted 7th, or F#dim6

F# G# A# B C# D# E# F#

F# A# C# E#

F# A# C# E

F# A C# E

F# A C E

F# A C D#

GMaj 7

G7

Gmin7

Gdim7 or min7 b5

Gdim double flatted 7th, or Gdim6

G A B C D E F# G

G B D F#

G B D F

G Bb D F

G Bb Db F

G Bb Db E

AbMaj 7

Ab7

Abmin7

Abdim7 or min7 b5

Abdim double flatted 7th, or Abdim6G

Ab Bb C Db Eb F G Ab

Ab C Eb G

Ab C Eb Gb

Ab Cb Eb Gb

Ab Cb D Gb

Ab Cb D F

AMaj 7

A7

Amin7

Adim7 or min7 b5

Adim double flatted 7th, or Adim6G

A B C# D E F# G# A

A C# E G#

A C# E G

A C E G

A C Eb G

A C Eb F#

BbMaj 7

Bb7

Bbmin7

Bbdim7 or min7 b5

Bbdim double flatted 7th, or Bbdim6G

Bb C D Eb F G A Bb

Bb D F A

Bb D F Ab

Bb Db F Ab

Bb Db Fb Ab

Bb Db Fb G

BMaj 7

B7

Bmin7

Bdim7 or min7 b5

Bdim double flatted 7th, or Bdim6G

B C# D# E F# G# A# B

B D# F# A#

B D# F# A

B D F# A

B D F A

B D F G#

(I’ll add more over time, maybe Modes will be next, and Pentatonic…but it’s a great start)